


Rewrite

by eisneRiegan



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Awkward Sexual Situations, Awkward first meeting, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-16 13:35:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29576898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eisneRiegan/pseuds/eisneRiegan
Summary: Byleth got transported back in time and met someone she didn't expect.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth & Claude von Riegan, My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 7
Kudos: 64





	1. Chapter 1

Byleth sighed as she stared at the article on her phone she had been returning to for the past weeks, as she got comfortable on the sofa.

She was researching about the lost kingdom of Almyra. Many texts that claims to be factual information told her that the remains of the famed kingdom that once occupied Fodlan for many centuries is that tiny little country to the east.

Well, from what she had read on many articles, the surrounding countries around it seem to still want to be part of it historically speaking, but they have all signed some kind of treaty with Fodlan after they won their freedom many generations ago that prevents them from doing so. She doesn't understand why would Fodlan interfere, politically speaking, since Almyra didn't really harm Fodlan's economy when they were under their rule.

She stared at the portrait on the screen.

Prince Khalid. A young ruler who had shown great promise on bringing his homeland to glory, had ascended the throne at a very young age yet unable to do so due to his untimely demise.

A coup d'etat happened and he was slain trying to protect his loved ones.

His death marked the downfall of his kingdom.

"Still pining over a dead Prince?" she heard someone ask ridiculously.

Byleth turned her head to look.

It's her roommate, Dorothea, who had finished her bath. Her oversized shirt made her look cuddly.

Byleth locked her phone to turn the screen off, rolling off the sofa to stand up.

"I wasn't pining." She replied defensively. "And Prince Khalid obviously had wives. There's at least a couple of princes from three different wives and a handful of little princesses."

"And I know you'd like to be part of his harem." Dorothea teased. Byleth shook her head.

"I don't like sharing my partner." Byleth told her. "You didn't flood the bathroom, did you?"

"I didn't. Come on. That was only one time I forgot to turn off the faucet..."

"If you say so."

"You ordered food?"

"After my bath."

Dorothea groaned. "You take ages in the bath. Probably thinking about–"

Byleth rolled her eyes then skipped towards her bedroom, not wanting to hear what Dorothea is implying.

She grabbed her towel and went to the bathroom, starting the water to fill the bathtub. As she waited for it, she hummed while she stripped off her clothes.

She looked at the small tatoo on her arm.

The Crest of Flames. Or so what the design said in the catalogue.

Her parents didn't like the idea of her having a tatoo but since she promised that's the only thing she will get inked, they gave in.

When Dorothea wanted to get a matching one, the ink shop has changed owners and all of the catalogue shown to her doesn't have the Crest of Flames. Pouty, Dorothea decided to get a real tiny lotus tatoo on her ankle instead.

Turning off the faucet once the tub is filled, Byleth slipped into it and sighed contentedly, her mind wandering back to the dead prince.

The articles said he died because one of his wives and a general had conspired against him and everything went downhill from there.

Ah...

If only she could change it.

Someone like him didn't deserve to die like that.

If he survived, maybe Almyra would be better off now in the present. It wouldn't have been broken into tiny countries by Fodlan in fear of Almyra taking them back into their influence.

She slipped downward into the tub, making bubbles with her mouth as her mind locked onto Khalid's painted portrait.

Ah...

The water's so warm...

She could probably fall asleep like this....

...

...

...

Byleth realized she's submerged into the water, something that shouldn't be possible in a bathtub such as theirs.

She flailed around, expecting to hit the side of the tub. Instead, she hit nothing.

She heaved herself up, breaking through the water and she took in that sweet breath of air.

"Who in the seven stars of heaven are you?" she heard a man's confused voice.

Byleth wiped the water off her face and opened her eyes to see she's in a rather luxurious place, filled with warm water.

The high ceilings have chandeliers with flickering flames, the wide window behind her open to let the night wind in. Fresh flowers seem to decorate the sill.

She turned her eyes to the man in front of her.

A well toned body, beautiful bronze skin, his hair slick and his body dripping water as he stood there, staring at her.

Thankfully the water's up to his waist but she could see his pelvic bones and if he moved even a little bit–

No. She shouldn't think of that.

"Who sent you here?" he demanded. "This bath is not for public use!"

He moved forward, grabbing Byleth's wrist and pulled her up.

He stopped when he saw the tatoo on her arm, eyes widening at some sort of recognition.

"You–"

They locked eyes for a few moments, until the cold night wind blew in and made Byleth shiver. The man's eyes dropped down onto her body and upon realization, became flustered.

"I–ah, no. Wait. This is not–"

The two of them, flustered at the same time, tried to make space between them, flailing this way and that.

Byleth slipped and they both came tumbling down into the water, the man's forehead knocking against her chin painfully.

They made quite the splashing sound.

And as though alarmed by that, the door slammed open and some kind of uniformed soldiers came in as the two of them tried to get up.

"Your Majesty! Are you okay?"

The half dozen soldiers milled about and saw their liege in the water, hovering above a woman who's clinging to his arm.

The soldiers then looked everywhere but them, their cheeks red. One even coughed in embarrassment.

The man cleared his throat, and made a shooing gesture at them. They quickly dispersed and closed the door with a snap.

The two of them pushed away from one another, turning their backs so they won't see anything else.

The man cleared his throat again as he moved out of the water.

"I'll, uh, send someone to get you a robe and some clothes, my lady."

Byleth glanced at him as he got out of the water, her heart beating fast upon seeing his face up close earlier.

She knew that face. Having stared at it for many minutes in a day.

Prince Khalid.

But how? Is she dreaming? Is that it? Did she fell asleep in the tub and now she's having this rather vivid dream of what it would be like if she ever interact with him?

Heck no. She doesn't have that kind of imaginative brain.

And his touch on her skin is real.

What's going on?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I miss playing IkeSen and thought maybe I could borrow their theme for a bit.  
> I really wanted to have a perfect excuse to write that bath scene bec my other ideas won't work.


	2. Chapter 2

Byleth, now fully clothed in a beautiful Almyran dress she only saw in pictures, sat across the Prince who is dressed quite plainly for bed, with a cup of wine for the two of them.

They even fixed her hair, putting it up in some kind of braid.

Her eyes darted around, occasionally stopping on the Prince's face.

Why did she have to meet him in his bedroom of all places?

He's regarding her for too long, as if a thing he wants to take apart and see what's inside.

Or put her on that ridiculous king size bed behind him.

"You know," Khalid finally said as he stretched his legs. "I've always thought that Goddesses do come out of water or come down from the sky elegantly with their flowing clothes and all as stories go but your entrance is...not something I expected."

If Byleth was drinking any of the wine in front of her, she would have choked.

"Excuse me?" Byleth said incredulously. "I'm not a–"

"I was in that bath for an hour before you emerged. You surely couldn't have survived underwater for so long." He pointed out. "So, either you're the answer I sought out from the temple hours ago, or you're an assassin who managed to get through under the baths. Which is highly impossible, given how the structure was made."

He stood up from his seat, walked around the table, and sat close to her. He gently picked up her wrist and pulled back the sleeve to reveal the tatoo that made him assume her identity.

"So, if you're not an assassin, then you're probably an avatar of a Goddess that I've prayed to earlier. I know I'm favored by the heavens, but I wasn't really expecting a quick response from them."

He grinned at her. "Beside, you have a weird accent. No one from Almyra have that, nor that of our newly forged alliance with Fodlan to the west."

She gave him a careful look. "You...what did you exactly prayed for?"

"For the heavens to grant me a wife that is willing to make a world a better place for half bloods like me, and those who are being looked down on because of their heritage."

Byleth stared at him. "Don't you have three wives already?"

Khalid coughed in surprise. "What? Where did that come from, my lady? I have not been married. Ever. Weren't the Gods watching over us humanity?"

She racked her brain.

How is that possible?

He looks like at that age when he was killed, historically speaking.

Something doesn't line up here.

Seeing her doubtful expression, Khalid sighed and covered her hand with his.

"Okay...okay, I admit. I almost did take the Princess Edelgard from Fodlan to secure a peaceful alliance between our lands but...it's not really my type of politics. I mean, my mother is a noble from Fodlan so that should suffice, even if she's from a House lower than the royal family."

Something is really amiss here.

Deciding to play along with the role Khalid had assumed about her, Byleth finally opened her mouth to speak.

"I wasn't really...paying any attention to humanity recently. May I ask you some things, Prince Khalid?"

"Of course. Anything I can be of service."

Wow. This is not how she expected her interaction with him if she was given a chance.

"How old are you...?"

Khalid seems to be put off by this question, as he stared at her with his mouth slightly open.

Obviously not the question he expected to come out of her mouth.

"I, ah... Twenty-two, turning twenty-three in a few weeks time..."

Byleth hummed thoughtfully. "Still young..."

If memory serves right, he ascended the throne at that age and his reign only lasted for four years. He should be married right now if she's going to base it off the articles she read but he claims he's single...

"Any betrothed?"

"Erm, apart from the deal with Princess Edelgard, no."

"Hidden lovers?"

"None at all."

This really doesn't make sense.

He got Fodlan under Almyra right now but no wives or children.

Were every article she read was fabricated? For what reason?

Khalid gave her a measured look before chuckling. "I didn't know Goddesses can get a little possessive. Rest assured, I've never had a woman...nor have taken a woman. Never been physically and romantically up close, until, well. You know, earlier. With you."

Byleth pinched the bridge of her nose at that, freeing her hand from his and waving it around.

"Please forget about that. It was an ugly entrance as entrances go..."

"I would also like to apologize for my behavior...I really wasn't expecting you to come to me like that..."

"Your Majesty." A servant called outside the door. "The room you requested is ready."

Khalid smiled at Byleth, helping her up. "You must be tired and still disoriented, my lady. Please, take a rest for the night."

He escorted her out of his room, and into the one directly in front of his.

Byleth raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, it's the only room suited for you." Khalid replied defensively.

The room is large, exquisitely adorned by Almyran craftsmanship. The king size bed takes all of the attention when one enters the room, complimented by the beautiful carpet strewn on the floor. The large windows are closed, with the heavy curtains drawn yet at the same time, the temperature is still cool.

Did they have some kind of hidden ventilation?

There are doors to the right that Byleth presume leads to the bathroom or the closet. Isn't that what palaces usually have?

She turned around to look at him, and found him watching her with great interest.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, unnerved. Khalid only smiled sweetly.

"Nothing. I'm only realizing now I haven't asked what name my Goddess prefers to go by."

Byleth cleared her throat in embarassment, hearing him call her that way without shame.

"Byleth." She told him. "You go rest. I'm sorry I came in that way..."

"Byleth..." He said slowly, as if savoring the feel of that name.

Somehow, the way he muttered her name was too...suggestive.

Khalid stepped closer to her, lifted her hand up to his lips, and kisses her palm in reverence before stepping out and closing the door.

Byleth then proceeded to melt down on the floor, covering her red face with her hands.

What the hell was that?

Many things doesn't line up with the written history she had read.

"Well, because you already came to conclusion that they're fabricated. And you're right." She heard a young girl's snippy voice. Byleth looked around, frowning when she couldn't see anyone.

"You wished to change his fate. And he wished to have someone beside him to change the world. I heard both of your wishes and so I'm granting it. I also gave you a bonus boon since you came from a time where magic have stopped flowing."

Byleth stood up, still looking around for the source of the voice.

"Where are you? What do you mean by all of those?"

She heard a sigh and a moment later, a green glimmer appeared before her eyes on the bed and a young girl with abnormally fluffy long hair and flowy clothes is sitting on the bed.

"You used to be smart. What happened to you?" the girl frowned at Byleth as she rested her chin on her hand. "Was I too rough on bringing you here?"

Byleth blinked. Did that girl really...?

The girl waved her hand in dismissal. "You may call me Sothis. I am the Goddess that flows between time that heard both of your heart's wishes."

Sothis then floated up to look into Byleth's eyes. "I also unlocked the meridians in your body to let the mana flow freely. You have badly clogged meridians, young lady. I do not regret submerging you in that water to cleanse you."

"I almost drowned!"

"You were in no danger of drowning, child. Now hush."

"Khalid thinks I'm a goddess. Which I am not, but you are. How do you propose to fix this misunderstanding as soon as possible?"

"Technically, my power flows in you and that makes you a goddess too. So, you're not really lying to him or to anyone else in this time."

"What about my life that you made me leave behind?" Byleth demanded.

She has work to turn in after the weekend!

"Oh, yeah. That. Well... In time, traces of your existence there will fade and will be turned over to here."

Byleth stared at her in horror.

Her parents will...forget about her? And her friends too?

No, that's too much of an exchange...

"Bring me back to my time." She told Sothis. "I can't leave...my parents..."

Sothis inclined her head questioningly. "You'd rather let your Prince still meet his demise in a few more years to go back to your family?"

"He's not my Prince. He's only someone that I–"

Sothis placed a hand on Byleth's head. "Hush now, child. If you can change the Prince's fate and correct the flow of history, then I'll listen to your request of returning home."


	3. Chapter 3

"So...uh. Who's she?" Tiana asked her son uncertainly the next day.

They were in the gardens, having breakfast with Khalid's parents.

Byleth had learned everything she needed to know for that specific meeting, with Sothis supplying her with information needed in her mind.

Khalid had ascended the throne a few weeks back, and his first act as King was to forge peaceful relation with Fodlan.

Something majority of his Court didn't like.

From what Byleth could remember, the reason why Khalid ascended was because his father died of unexplained causes.

But he looks pretty healthy right now.

Another thing in the history fabricated.

Really. Who would benefit from doing so?

"She's...the answer to my prayers." Khalid responded, making Byleth scream internally in embarrassment.

She gave him a look instead and Khalid laughed at their expressions.

"I intend to marry her in the coming months." He casually continued. "Thought I'd let you know."

"That's thoughtful of you to let us know, after how you bullied your father into giving you the throne." Tiana replied. The man beside her laughed.

"It's a welcome early retirement, love. And he earned it, so let him keep it. Let's wait for the day he realize he ascended too early, being the softie that he is."

Byleth raised an eyebrow at Khalid. He only gave her a confused look, before remembering her words from the previous night, about how she wasn't really paying any attention to petty human activities recently.

"I...ah, bested my father in combat. So now, I'm king."

Byleth glanced over at his father, who merely laughed again.

"Old bones, my lady." He informed her. "He got lucky my arthritis was really painful that day, that's all."

"Hey! That's not what you said when I won." Khalid protested.

"Feeling less of a king now that you've learned the truth about your victory over your old man, kid?" the former king teased him. "Ready to return my throne?"

"I'm keeping it."

"Suit yourself. Don't come running to me and asking for reinforcement when the time comes."

"So much for being supportive parents."

"Unless you realize you can't do anything on your own and need to rely on us every now and then, we'll let you suffer in your pride. Don't let the lady next to you regret marrying you."

Khalid turned to look at his mother for help, who only shrugged. "Your father has a point, child."

Tiana then turned her attention to Byleth, who have been sitting quietly beside Khalid.

"Forgive me for asking this, but this is the first time Khalid ever introduced a lady to us that he plans to marry."

Byleth straightened up on her seat.

This is more nerve-racking compared to getting a job interview conducted by the CEO.

"From which family do you hail from? You don't look Almyran, and you also have that distinct presence of someone who hails from Fodlan..."

Byleth broke out in cold sweat.

What's she suppose to say in this situation? Khalid isn't really much help if he tells them the truth that she appeared out of nowhere. They'd only think he's making it up and had a hidden lover all these years.

"Oh for crying out loud. Maybe I really did a number on your smart brain. For that, I apologize. Now, repeat what I say for your cover up story." Sothis sighed inside Byleth's mind.

"I hail from the heavens, a companion of the Sparkling Star, home of The Beginning. I was a dying star and Khalid's timely prayer saved me from my demise. She who flows between time saw an opportunity to save me and sent me here as her favorable response to him."

Khalid and his father exchanged a look.

It's not uncommon for the Almyran royal family to get a consort sent by their gods every once in a while as the Almyran minstrels sings every now and then (Khalid's great-great-great grandmother was said to be a daughter of the Mother Goddess judging by the written records about her), but Tiana's not really from Almyra and might find this a long winded excuse. No one can fake being a descendant of any Almyran gods or goddesses as the Royal family have means to discern it on first glance.

The Beginning, as Byleth said, is one of the more obscured goddess in the Almyran religion. Some say she's already dead that's why she doesn't have any temples around the kingdom.

Some claims she's not real.

But for the most part, they say she was an outcast amongst their heavenly rank and she fled to who knows where.

And that's why Khalid prayed to her, feeling some kind of kinship towards the outcast status.

Tiana sat there, staring at Byleth for a long while. When she finally snapped out of it, she had to grab a cup of water and downed its contents before talking again.

"I never thought I'd hear that goddess's title here of all places..."

"You know about The Beginning, mother?" Khalid said, surprised. Even her husband looked at her in amazement.

"Why wouldn't I? It's the only religion prevalent in my homeland. It probably lost its real meaning of existence along the way..."

("Don't ask me what happened about that." Sothis warned Byleth quietly, sensing her curiosity. "I was minding my own business until I heard the two of you praying too loudly and persistently.")

"Your Majesty." A servant approached them politely, bowing. "Court is resuming soon. They are all waiting for you."

Khalid grimaced. "It's too early. What's up with them now?"

"The Governors are on edge upon hearing your refusal to marry anyone."

The young king groaned in annoyance while his parents shook their head at his reaction.

"Don't be like that. You have allies in the Court." His father said. "Rest assured they have your back."

"Unless they also get on my back to produce heirs. Nader is the only one who's against me marrying anyone, as he claims I'm not even man enough to keep a woman happy."

"Well, the Lady will be the judge of that." Tiana told him as she gave a strained smile at Byleth. "Forgive me if I'm having a little trouble of accepting what you've said. I didn't really have good relation with that religion back in Fodlan..."

Byleth shook her head. "It's only natural. I don't mind."

Khalid let out a puff of air, still not liking the idea of going to Court this early. He gave Byleth a long side glance, his brain working on many schemes on how best to catch everyone off guard.

When a smile formed on his lips after a few minutes, Byleth feared for her life.

That mischievous smile promises more trouble in the future.

And she's suppose to marry him. Share a bed with him. And bear his children.

What the heck, Sothis. This isn't what she meant when she wished she had a way to change his fate.

("Mind your language, child." Sothis chided her.) 

Khalid stood up and turned to Byleth, holding out his hand to her.

"My lady, will you do me the honor of accompanying me to Court?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weekend's almost over at my side of the world... Gonna be a while to update this👀 but who knows. Maybe I can slip some time off from work

The attendant outside the Audience hall gave Khalid an uncertain look.

Byleth stood next to the Almyran King, her hand in his and looking very stoic even though deep inside she's panicking for things are progressing too fast to her liking.

"Erm, Your Majesty?"

"Yes?"

"What title does the lady...?"

Khalid looked over at Byleth, saw a wayward strand of her hair hanging by her cheek. He reached over to tuck it behind her ear, his finger brushing lightly against her earlobe.

Byleth looked up at him, startled by his gesture and they locked eyes for a while.

They both noticed things they missed out on the previous night, or earlier during breakfast.

His eyes took in every little detail.

Of how her eyes seem to change hues, from blue to mint green, forever swimming between them even though the light doesn't reflect on them too much.

Is it because she's still adjusting on her physical form?

She's also not that short compared to him. He thought she wouldn't reach up to his shoulder but maybe she was trying to look small last night to cover up her body.

He gulped as his eyes wandered down from her eyes, down to her lips and to her well covered body.

He mentally slapped himself.

He shouldn't think of her that way yet. Not after what he had learned about her.

Maybe he should have waited, talked to her for a bit and get to know her, before he introduced her to his parents.

Sometimes, his excitement makes him dumb.

He didn't know what to react earlier when she said she was dying out there until she was given this body.

As for Byleth, she marvels at how handsome he is in person compared to the painted portraits of him. Those faded tapestries with his visage on them doesn't do him justice.

She really thought he wears two earrings, but it turns out he only wears one.

His boyish face is starting to make a semblance like a man's as he tries to grow a beard, but it only made him look a little scruffy. Just a tiny bit. Like a college student who forgot to shave because he doesn't have enough time inbetween writing his reports and two part time jobs.

His green eyes reminded her of her favorite brooch that belongs to her grandmother. They have that same hue of emerald and she would always stare at them, fixated on them. She couldn't hide her delight when her grandmother finally handed it to her as a graduation gift, as she got tired of reminding Byleth to return it in the jewellery box.

They continued to stare at one another, intrigued with each other's physical appearance.

Completely forgetting that a poor attendant is standing there at the side, trying their best to ignore the scene in front of them.

Well, at least another attendant now knows what exactly their relationship is.

The attendant bravely cleared his throat. "Your Majesty...?"

They both blinked, separating from one another, looking at him.

"What title should I announce for her Ladyship?"

Khalid stepped away a little, clearing his throat and adjusting his collar. "Her Holiness."

The attendant didn't dare question why she has that title.

The two of them entered the Hall, with everyone's head turning to look at Byleth, watching her every movement.

Khalid escorted her to the empty seat next to his throne, and smiled at her.

"Might be a little uncomfortable." He told her under his breath. "If you hate the cushions, tell me later and we'll have it changed."

Byleth tried her best not to snort out loud as she faced the throng of government officials in Khalid's court.

And immediately, memories of her pitching some new projects in front of her bosses resurfaced. The familiarity of that kind of ridiculous situation relaxed her a bit, as she's used to talking to a large group of older men who thinks they could talk down on her and the project pitch because she's a young woman.

Beside, it's satisfying to see their surprised faces when she sat down after Khalid.

Murmurs rose and Khalid immediately got thrown into work for the day.

Byleth resisted on yawning, as majority of it has nothing to do with her. She didn't offer any comment on any of the problems they presented to Khalid.

Court duties only looked exciting in tv, but pretty tedious in real life. Well, she do know that tv dramas exaggerate a lot to keep viewer ratings up. That's what Dorothea told her after all, and that's why it's hard for her to change her immediate superior's mind about changing how they write the stories. They'd resort to overly used tropes and formulas that if you put them all side by side, you'd notice the similarities.

Sometimes one doesn't even have to put them side by side. Some scriptwriters would shamelessly use the same formula with new characters and new title.

It's only rare that a scriptwriter can get away with the same formula, because their execution was better than most.

Byleth had told Dorothea many times to quit her job or pitch her own script to an independent online streaming site. They'd accept anything that is fresh concept after all. At least the only reason Dorothea would get white hairs is the tight deadlines to produce her finished work a week or two before the air date.

After the Court adjourned, Khalid is beside himself, chortling in glee as they walked out into the hallway, her hand on his arm.

"They're wondering who you are." Khalid told her. "Their confused faces were priceless..." 

He stopped, turned to look at Byleth and brought both of her hands up to his lips, kissing them politely. "Thank you for humoring me on that request, my lady. I thought you wouldn't agree, given your status..."

Byleth shook her head. "I'm as mortal as you are now. A little harmless prank or two isn't enough for a divine retribution."

"You'd probably want to rest? I know I woke you up too early, I didn't even consider if you had a good night's sleep..."

"And you?"

"I still have some stuff to do. Kingly matters I would prefer to leave to my advisor but I'm still learning on the job so I must do it myself..." He muttered the last bits to himself before smiling brightly at her again.

"Those people at Court earlier might come knocking at your door today or in the following days. I'll post some sentries to keep them at bay."

"I'll trust your judgement on that."

"I'll come visit you later in the afternoon. If that's okay?"

Byleth nodded and Khalid pulled her into a hug happily. They parted after a while, with Khalid barely wanting to let go of her hand and he watched her go to her rooms.

Byleth had barely taken a few more steps to turn at the corner when Sothis's alarmed voice rang in her head.

"Don't leave him on his own! Danger is always lurking for him, now more than ever! Get back to him, now!"

Her heart suddenly racing at Sothis's tone, Byleth turned back on her heels to go after Khalid.

"Khalid–!" she called out once she saw his back to her.

The Almyran King stopped on his tracks, turned to look at her with confusion.

"Byle–?"

He wasn't able to continue his question when a man appeared at his side, garbed in all black and has a weird elongated mask, grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged a blade through his throat.

Khalid surprised expression was etched in Byleth's memory, as blood spurted and trailed down his neck.

"No–!"

Time seemed to slow down as Sothis appears once again next to Byleth, teaching her an incantation.

And before Khalid could drop down onto the floor, the winds seemed to be sucking in and distorting everything around them. With a howling sound that made Byleth's ears ring, her vision blurred and spiralled into nothing.

Then she found herself standing in front of Khalid once again after he had kissed her hands.

"You'd probably want to rest? I know I woke you up too early, I didn't even consider if you had a good night's sleep..."

Byleth gulped, the memory of what happened to him still vivid. She shook her head hard.

"No, I'll accompany you."

Khalid was surprised by her response, as he stared at her, wondering if she's anxious on her own. "It's going to be boring inside that office. Paperworks aren't really fun..."

"I insist."

Khalid considered it for a moment, then nodded. Well, if she's with him, at least those court officials won't be able to hound and interrogate her.

Placing a respectful hand on her waist, he lead her on the way back to his office. He couldn't help but notice thay Byleth's a little tense.

She stopped a few steps away from where the man that was suppose to kill Khalid is hiding.

"My lady?" Khalid frowned, concerned for her well-being. Maybe she really is still tired?

"Come out. I know you're there." Byleth said in the what she hopes is her most commanding voice.

Khalid's sense of danger spiked up when bloodlust overflowed down the hall they were in and he tried to push Byleth behind his back to protect her.

Only, he found himself being moved to the side effortlessly and now seeing Byleth's back in front of him.

Byleth was expecting only one man to jump out at her, but instead three appeared: two seemed to be mages, while the last one is the one she saw.

Listening to Sothis's instructions of how to wield her newly unlocked skills, Byleth raised her hand to send fireballs at them.

It sent one of them on fire and instantly died, while the other was singed.

The one with the blade lunged at her but Khalid intercepted it with a dagger he always kept on himself. After parrying it, he swiped at the man to cut his abdomen.

Byleth then followed up with a crackling of lightning magic and directed it at their enemies.

It struck them critically and they both died on the spot.

Khalid blinked, surprised that it's over. He turned to look at Byleth with an abashed smile.

"Okay, they were well hidden. I wasn't able to sense them at all. I owe you my life, my lady."

Byleth smiled weakly at him. "Thank goodness...you're...alright..." She managed to say as all her strength left her and Khalid had to quickly catch her in his arms.

"My lady? Byleth, what's wrong?"

  
**Extra** :

Byleth found herself adrift in some kind of empty void. She must be dreaming.

Ah, maybe the one with interacting with Khalid and his family was all a dream.

Maybe she was getting out of the bathtub, slipped and bonked her head badly.

Dorothea's probably bawling her eyes out if she doesn't wake up soon.

She just hopes that Dorothea had at least put some clothes on her before the ambulance arrived.

She never thought she'd kill another human being like that. It's too much for her. She wants to go home, back to her normal life as an office worker. She'd even welcome Dorothea's work rants in the evening.

"Sorry, child. But you're not dreaming about your Prince. Everything is real." She heard Sothis's voice resonate all around her. "I see now that using the Divine Pulse to turn back the hands of time is too much for your body. But as long as you're careful and he survives after you unearthed the truth behind all of his fabricated history, you won't be needing it again."

_But what if his life is in peril again and I had to use it?_

"Common magic won't take a toll on you as it is within you. But the Divine Pulse... It's directly connected to my power. The more you use it, the more I cannot promise that I can bring you back to your own time after you've secured his life. The Divine Pulse relies on your connection with me and to your original time."

_I'm confused._

"To make it simple. The more you use it, the less chance I can bring you home because your connection to your home diminishes on every use of it. It weaves time and space, distorting every passage and making another where you willed it. The passage of the past where your connection to your time closes behind it and thus, harder for you and me to open another way to it."

_...I think I kind of get it..._

"You don't have to get it. Just remember that if you use too much of the Divine Pulse, you can never go home. Only use it when needed so we don't lose the thread that will lead us to your time."

_Okay...is Khalid safe now?_

"For the time being. Enemies from the shadows will approach his kingdom soon. You better be prepared. But for now, rest. You need it."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna post this now bec grinding for orbs in Feh in the next days, now that the hectic work schedule is over. Must get that Claude unit👀👀

Khalid woke up with a start when an arm slithered through his robe.

He looked down and saw Byleth snuggling up to him.

She's been out cold for two days with no sign of movement.

Now this.

Khalid had entrusted most of his work to his advisor, while the other paperworks, he did in Byleth's bedroom. His sense of responsibility towards what happened to her made him arrange his work schedule that way.

He only climbed onto the bed to sleep next to her to keep her warm, seeing that the blankets aren't doing much for her despite of being two layers thick.

Also because his neck and back are already hurting from sleeping on the couch.

He could've gone to his room but he wanted to be there for her all the time.

He rubbed his face, as he carefully moved away from her.

Byleth latched onto him tightly, pressing her cold cheek against his chest.

Khalid tensed up.

Are Goddesses...actually touch-starved?

Is it really cold up there from where she came from?

Or is it because Byleth is actually a cuddle bug?

That doesn't explain why Byleth is halfway stripping him while she's asleep.

Byleth let out a grunt as she opened her eyes blearily and noticed the bare chest she's snuggling with. She looked up at Khalid, who seem to be red in the face due to his predicament.

"Khalid...?"

"Yes, my lady? Are you feeling well now?"

Byleth let out a sleepy hum. "I need the bathroom..."

Khalid sat up, aware that her arm fell down his hip and dangerously close to a place where he doesn't want her hand to go to just yet.

He carefully lifted that offending arm off of him, then moved to get out of bed.

He lifted the covers to help her sit up. When she tried to stand, she wobbled a little so Khalid assisted her all the way to the bathroom.

As he waited for her to finish her business, Khalid put his robes right back on and tied it securely.

He doesn't want her to think he was doing something to her while she's asleep, even though she's the one who started it.

No, he shouldn't put the blame on her. That wouldn't have happened if he didn't climb onto the bed and hugged her first.

The door to the bathroom opened and he quickly put on a smile for her.

He helped her back onto the bed, and knelt in front of her.

"Are you feeling okay now?" He asked, his hands covering hers.

She nodded, freeing her hand from his and cupped his face. "And you? Are you well? No one tried to do you in while I was asleep?"

Khalid leaned into her soft palm. "Believe it or not, I holed up in here for the past two days, watching over you. I guess I really should have let you rest first when you arrived...if only you told me much earlier that you were a dying goddess before you came to have a second chance in life, I would have postponed everything."

Byleth then pinched his cheek. "Why were you sleeping next to me?"

Khalid held up both of his hands in surrender. "I wasn't doing anything funny!"

"You were half naked."

"You tried to strip me while you were asleep."

"Why would I?"

"I don't know...but I swear I didn't strip on my own."

Byleth pursed her lips at that.

Well, he was comfortably warm to the touch. She couldn't remember the time she last hugged someone with that level of comfy-ness.

"Then wear something else that isn't easy to take off." She told him bluntly as she got back into the bed.

Khalid looked down at his robe, double tied it tightly and stood up. "Erm...you still don't mind if I sleep on the bed?"

Byleth pulled up the covers up to her shoulder, her back to him. "We are getting married in the next couple of months. I don't see why we should still sleep separately. This is also a good way to know bad sleeping habits each of us has. Unless you don't have any control on your...sexual urges."

Khalid only stared at the back of her head then scratched the back of his head.

Well, she has a point.

He double checked his tied robes before getting back on the bed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Claude didn't come home, even after I spent money on FEH :'< i spent all my allotted gaming money on him and he dared not to come home at 10% drop rate.. Yeesh

It has been a few months since Byleth came to the past. She tried to get some information from Khalid about those who attacked him but he wouldn't say anything. As some kind of punishment, Byleth is stuck to his side most of the time. Khalid didn't mind the said punishment, as he gets to enjoy every minute of every day with her.

Even if she lectures him on how to properly organize his papers and how to properly balance the tax on his people. She would also sometimes pitch in during his time at Court, questioning some of the propositions they laid out for the King's approval.

It was pretty apparent to the Court at large on what she is to the King even before he announced their wedding date.

Women who once vied for his attention to be his wife were enraged by this, and they tried their best to get some dirt on her.

There are also those who tried to get her favor, in hopes of at least becoming a concubine. The King can't have any without permission of his wife after all.

A rule that Khalid's parents had enacted when they got married years before. Tiana was adamant on not sharing her husband, and he acquiesced since there's no one in Almyra that can match her in terms of beauty, strength and cunning.

Byleth only have a few female allies within the Almyran court: the former Queen, all of Khalid's older half-sisters, and a handful few cousins. Byleth is well protected, that Khalid didn't have to lift a finger.

Who were delighted to hear that Khalid has a woman because they couldn't tolerate the ones trying to get into his pants. Wherever she came from, they don't mind at all since she's far more kinder and trustworthy than anyone else. 

Sothis have been pretty quiet recently as well, and Byleth took some time to practice her newly acquired skills. She tried to forget about the Divine Pulse being in her repertoire, not intending to use it anymore.

Byleth attended Court one day with Khalid as usual, and she was ready to zone out when she heard two familiar names.

"Presenting Lord Hubert von Vestra–"

She sat up, attentive all of a sudden. Khalid noticed this and wondered if she had heard of this specific noble somewhere.

He didn't like the gleam of interest in her eyes though.

"–and Lady Cornelia Arnim of the Fodlan delegates."

The two newly introduced dignitaries bowed politely to Khalid and Byleth. When the one called Cornelia looked up at them again, Byleth didn't like the way she looked at Khalid.

There's something malicious in those eyes.

"I have been sent by the Lady Edelgard to extend her greetings and congratulations on your wedding." Hubert said to them. Byleth tore her eyes away from Cornelia and regarded Hubert for a moment.

Huh. He's actually...much more handsome than what the portraits depicted him. Though there's also that hint of darkness around him, as if he's always plotting. And he has that exact voice Byleth thought he would have.

Guess she does have an imaginative mind every now and then.

From what Byleth could remember of her Fodlan history, Hubert was made into a personal Knight of the Lady Edelgard and many hinted that they were more than liege and knight.

But what Byleth got interested in Hubert is the historical rumor surrounding him and Edelgard's first born child.

She wonders how inappropriate it is to ask him in private. Will he take offense? Is he going to kill Byleth if it's the truth? History did say he killed his own father to get the leadership of House Vestra.

Byleth snapped out of her reverie when Khalid cleared his throat. She glanced at him, giving him an abashed smile, and focused back on the dignitaries.

Cornelia was speaking in a voice that really irks Byleth.

And there's something with her gaze at Khalid that doesn't sit well with Byleth.

Afterwards, the two of them retired to the gardens, where Khalid threw himself down onto her lap and laid there to nap.

Byleth raised an eyebrow at him.

"What got you upset this time?"

"I'm not upset." Khalid pouted as he turned to hug her midriff. Byleth gently patted his head then massaged his ear to help him relax.

Minutes passed and Khalid shook off her hand, looking up at her. "What exactly are you doing?"

"Trying to relieve your stress."

"Well, it's not working so stop it."

She looked down at him again, noticing the blush on his face.

It took her a moment to realize what that meant.

She was about to tease him about it when an attendant came up to them to announce that Hubert requests a private audience.

Khalid flipped himself around Byleth's lap and motioned an affirmative. The attendant then left to fetch Hubert.

"You usually hate getting bothered during your break time." Byleth pointed out. "What made you give Hubert the exemption?"

Khalid narrowed his eyes at her upon hearing her call Hubert by his first name. "We rarely get Fodlan dignitaries come here. Might as well listen to what they have to say. Things they can't say in front of my Governors."

"You're not going to sit up properly?"

"It's my breaktime. We can be casual about it."

Byleth highly doubted the reason why he refuses to sit properly is to be casual with Hubert.

When Hubert arrived, he bowed politely at them. "I trust I have not intruded on a private moment?"

"It's fine." Khalid waved. "You have something to say to us?"

Hubert regarded them for a moment before speaking. "We've heard that there was an attempt on Your Majesty's life some time back. Were they, perhaps, wearing odd masks and dark robes? Wielding weapons not from this land?"

Byleth and Khalid looked at one another in alarm at that, and it was enough for Hubert to confirm his question. Khalid then sat up properly, motioning for Hubert to sit down next to them to lessen the chances of being overheard.

"I take it you know what assassin's guild they're from?" Khalid asked him pointedly. Hubert shook his head.

"Alas, I do not know what official name they go by. We call them Slitherers though, and they are also a thorn in my Lady Edelgard's side in Fodlan. They had killed her siblings, and gravely injured her father, Emperor Ionius, recently during the Rite of Ascension."

"How come we never heard of this issue?" Khalid frowned, scratching his chin. They have a lot of spies everywhere so how come no one reported this?

Hubert only bowed apologetically. "I wasn't able to help them escape with their lives..."

Byleth frowned. She has some basic knowledge of how extensive Almyran spy network is, and for none of them to return alive is preposterous.

Either Hubert killed them personally or they were bribed into silence. Losing a big chunk of the Royal family like that is bound to create a ripple of invasions for their ruling state is in chaos.

Also, this incident never happened in history books she read before. Edelgard von Hresvelg rose to power and shared the position with her step-uncle, Lambert Egitte Blaiddyd, after Khalid's passing. Emperor Ionius IX himself was the one who divided the land between them.

Byleth was sure that the unnamed wife who betrayed Khalid was actually Edelgard herself and because Fodlan is a little conservative about their historical Emperors, they erased her name as Khalid's wife and the reason of his death.

Maybe they also started the rumor of Hubert being the father of her child to cover their tracks.

"If the Emperor is out, does that mean Lady Edelgard is now the current leader?" Byleth asked pointedly. Hubert shook his head.

"Emperor Ionius have given the authority to his sworn younger brother, Lord Lambert, to look after Fodlan."

"But Edelgard's his heir?"

Hubert's lips twitched at the missing honorific to his lady's name. "Lady Edelgard did not get out of the ambush unscathed. It'll be a while before she can be her normal self again."

Khalid hummed thoughtfully. "Is it alright for you to be here when she needs you there?"

"I trust Prince Dimitri on keeping her safe. Beside, Lady Edelgard wanted me to come here to warn you about them. It seems that they are targetting both Royal families to create a war between our countries."

Khalid shrugged. "Typical. Hardly worth of the warning. Not many were happy about this alliance after all."

Byleth clenched her fists.

So. Those people are her prime suspects now who caused Khalid's death and the downfall of Almyra.

Those Slitherers.

What exactly will they gain from this?

Hubert's next words brought Byleth back to the present.

"I know it is not my place to say this, but do be careful around the Lady Cornelia. She got Lord Lambert around her hands and we cannot persuade him to dismiss her. Who knows what schemes she's brewing."

Khalid smiled at Hubert, a smile that somehow unnerved him.

It's a mix of confidence and dangerous. This is also the first time Byleth ever saw him like that.

Can't really say if she likes it or not.

"I'd like to see her try her schemes against me."


	7. Chapter 7

Retiring for the night, Byleth paced around her bedroom while Khalid changed his clothes in his own before he joins her.

This sleeping arrangement of theirs have been frowned upon by Tiana at first, since she doesn't trust her son not making a move on Byleth before their wedding in two months time.

But since Khalid have shown to be trustworthy enough, she let them be.

Byleth nibbled on her thumb nervously, looking at the door every now and then.

She had requested one of the more trusted spies that work under Khalid to get as much information as needed about Hubert and Cornelia.

Right after Hubert's courtesy call, Cornelia approached them after dinner to have a small chitchat.

Both have warned them against the other person, making Khalid a little bit thankful that he didn't agree to the marriage with Edelgard.

He has enough problems with Almyran politics, adding Fodlan politics in the mix will shorten his lifespan and give him early gray hairs.

As for Byleth, hearing both of them give warnings made her a little paranoid of what she can remember from history class.

She knows a few things about Hubert, but this Cornelia woman...she was never mentioned. If she were someone that King Lambert trusted, her name should have been written down.

She quickly opened the door when she heard a knock and found the spy standing there, a few scrolls in his arms.

"I wasn't able to get all of them, Your Holiness." He said apologetically as he handed the items to her. "But rest assured, I'll get my hands on them in the coming days."

"I don't want you to risk your life that much." Byleth reprimanded him. "I want you to keep living for the next couple of years, no matter what."

The spy stared at her then stifled a laugh. "I'll keep that in mind, Your Holiness. Even though our job does require us to risk our lives every day."

With that, he bowed politely then left Byleth to read the reports. She settled back into her room, sitting down on the floor instead of the couch and pored over the papers.

Informations that were not written down historically surfaced up about Hubert, and if only Khalid's life isn't in danger, she would have taken her time to get down on the nitty gritty details.

Judging that Hubert is harmless unless provoked, Byleth moved on to reading about Cornelia.

There doesn't seem to be anything incriminating against the woman, apart from her sudden elevation of status to be Lambert's trusted mage.

And that footnote where she associates with a certain Lord Arundel after her elevation in status. A disclaimer was placed there, as it's only a rumor the spy have picked up and have yet to confirm of their true relationship.

The most alarming note about her was the sudden change of behavior after being promoted by Lambert. There's no explanation to it, unless Cornelia was only faking her first personality. Or if she managed to put Lambert under a spell.

She sighed, rubbing her temple.

So far, both Fodlan dignitaries are suspicious. Though Hubert is less so, since he had given information about those masked people. So for now, she's leaning on taking Hubert's side.

But then...the attack on Khalid where he died, and which she rewinded time for, is the biggest question of all in the inaccuracies in history.

If he died early in his rule, who was the Khalid that was written down then? Is there some kind of powerful magic that exists in this time that will allow someone to assume form of a dead person's?

Sounds fake, but okay. If they could clone someone and make them act as them, why and how did magic got depleted in her time? 

She's not going to push herself to use the Divine Pulse, no matter what. If she can keep Khalid alive for four years...then she can return home, even if it means she's going to leave him and their potential children if they ever procreate.

It's going to be wild to read about herself in the future.

"What got you so busy with those papers that you're ignoring me?" Khalid's voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked up at him, standing in front of the table.

"Oh, you're here. How long were you standing there?"

"A good ten minutes. You were so immersed in reading, I didn't dare interrupt earlier."

Khalid moved around and sat down next to her on the floor. He glanced down at the few stray pieces of paper and saw Hubert's name. His expression darkened for moment before regaining his smile as he looked at her.

"It's rare for you to be interested in politics." He said as he placed an arm around her. "Staying up too late isn't good for you, even if you're half divinity. Or a former divinity."

"Khalid, I'm as mortal as you. Stop talking like that." She frowned, as she reached out to pinch his nose. He continued to smile at her, and Byleth could sense he wanted to say something.

She let go of his nose and faced him, pursing her lips. He noticed that small action and he laughed.

"So, I can't really get anything past you, huh? You and I have gotten to know each other well over the months..."

"If you have something to say, then say it. Don't beat around the bush."

Khalid scratched his earlobe at that, playing with his earring, looking for a nice way to construct his words without sounding a little too clingy.

"I...know I asked for a wife directly from the goddess and honestly, our situation isn't any different from an arranged one..."

Byleth raised an eyebrow at him and he only let out another nervous laugh. "Well, all I wanted to say is, I've really...fallen in love with you the more I got to know you...and...well..."

She waited patiently for him to continue after he trailed off awkwardly.

She tried her best to keep her expression in check when he casually confessed like that, in fear that she'd break his momentum. Deep inside though, her heart's racing and the longer the silence between them stretched, the more she's aware of it and feared he might hear it.

When neither of them made another sound, Khalid only smiled awkwardly. "Ah... Well...that's probably the least you expected to hear from me. I'm....I'm sorry for coming on to you like that..."

Byleth let out a breath to calm her heart as she reached out to his face and pressed her palms against his jaw. "You're important to me too, Khalid. I'd do anything to protect you. Knowing that you're safe puts me at ease."

Khalid blinked, staring into her ever changing eyes. He couldn't get enough of them.

But her answer...is not what he expected.

"My safety...huh..."

That isn't what Byleth expected to hear from him as well.

"Khalid...?"

He smiled at her as he gently took off her hands from his face. "I'll be sleeping back in my room, my lady. I...I should let you have more privacy before the wedding, enjoying your alone time..."

Byleth stared at him as he stood up. She noticed the cold glance he did onto the table where Hubert's papers are before he smiled at her again.

"Have a good night, My Lady Byleth."

She watched him go, at a loss for words.


	8. Chapter 8

Over the next few days, Khalid kept his distance from Byleth, and it baffled everyone. Especially Byleth, since she has no idea what got over him that night.

Was her response to his confession lacking? 

People around them got so used to them being joined by the hips everywhere they go, they feared that the most anticipated wedding of their kingdom will get cancelled with this sudden shift.

It's been a long while since they got a divine being as co-ruler after all. Having one around was a sign of a peaceful and prosperous era.

Byleth would normally hover near the area he's in, though she dares not to show herself. When he's behind closed doors for his duties as King, she trusts that one spy now working for her as well.

He gets double pay from it so he's not complaining. The work he does for Byleth is less stressful and demanding, and doesn't require any trips outside their kingdom. He had enlisted a subordinate's help to keep an eye on Byleth when he received orders from his King, making him shake his head.

If they had a lovers' quarrel, they should resolve it like adults and not pretend they hate each other while secretly looking after them.

Many of them thinks it's because of the arrival of Hubert, as Byleth seem to have taken a great interest in talking to him for long hours.

Mostly it's about the Slitherers, as Khalid's well being is her priority. Hubert was unnerved by how much she knows about the inner workings of Fodlan, so he cooperated accordingly to know where she got her informations.

But no one knows that. Khalid thinks they're just another for hire assassin's guild and dismissed them from his mind. He had experienced many life threats over the course of his young life and he always come out of it alive.

This sudden rift between Khalid and Byleth got his father a little more worried compared to the people and he enlisted Tiana's help to reconcile them. He went to talk to his son and Tiana went to talk to Byleth.

The former Queen of Almyra found her future daughter-in-law dealing with some papers about Fodlan inside the study that Khalid had set aside for her in case she gets bored of accompanying him at Court.

"Politics is stressful isn't it?" Tiana said and Byleth immediately stood up to give her a polite bow. Tiana only held up her hand to stop her. "You rank higher than me in many ways, it's kind of awkward for a Goddess to bow to me..."

Byleth internally sighed. She has long since given up trying to correct them that she's actually mortal now and everything she has was borrowed from Sothis, or The Beginning as they call her.

"I keep wondering why people wanted to get into politics, seeing this will shorten their lifespan..." Byleth agreed as they both sat down on the couch.

Tiana laughed. "The Gods have their own political structure, right?"

"I'm not really part of any pantheon." Byleth replied tiredly. "Was there something you wanted to discuss with me?"

The former Queen regarded her for a moment before smiling. "Did you and my dumbass of a son had a quarrel?"

Seeing the resigned expression on Byleth's face, Tiana thought it's a serious matter. She dropped her smile and took Byleth's hands into hers.

"What happened?"

Byleth shook her head. "I don't know. We were only talking one night and he...left."

"What were you talking about, if you don't mind me asking?"

"He...confessed he loves me."

Tiana wasn't a bit surprised. Ever since Byleth came to them, Khalid has been all smiles and more tolerant with people. Also, he's always looking at her, basking in her presence. Byleth seems unaware of that habit, and Khalid's older siblings have the perfect gift for them once the wedding comes around.

"What was your answer?" Tiana asked curiously.

"I told him he's important to me too. And as long as he's safe..."

Tiana then pursed her lips. "Ah... I see."

Byleth frowned at her, inclining her head questioningly. Tiana gave her a tight smile and lifted a hand up to tuck Byleth's hair behind her ear.

"Little Khalid hates it when he's being treated like a fragile child." Tiana explained. "Maybe that confused him, and ignored the part where you reciprocated his feelings."

Byleth pinched the bridge of her nose.

He threw out a tantrum because someone's worried for his safety? Really?

"Also, maybe because you've been spending a lot of time with a certain Fodlan dignitary." Tiana added.

"Hubert have informations I needed." Byleth replied, slumping back on the couch. "Informations I wouldn't normally get anywhere."

"Informations like..?"

Byleth opened her mouth to speak but Sothis, awaking from her nap since forever, warned her of giving too much information to the wrong person.

Like heck, Tiana is Khalid's mother. She should know that if her son dies, all will crumble. Byleth used to have this fascination towards old empires and kingdoms and how they rose and fell from power. But now that she had lived through a thriving Almyra for a few months, she's not going to let it die and let Fodlan have its way.

She doesn't even feel guilty about choosing Almyra over her own homeland. Future Fodlan's government is the worst and she'd rather have Almyra around to keep Fodlan's corruption in check. Even if there's no guarantee that after Khalid's reign, the officials won't be blatantly corrupt.

It's so sad and tiring when one only wanted to exist and enjoy life but there's always that circumstances that prevents one from doing so.

"Like the actual political stance of Fodlan in this alliance." Byleth carefully replied. "There might come a time that...Almyra might fall and Fodlan might take that chance to break up the lands so it won't be any threat to any kingdoms..."

Tiana sat there quietly, staring at Byleth, then smiled. "Don't worry. That will never happen. As long as the Royal family exists, Almyra will continue to live even with a small patch of land as long as the people upholds the history and traditions in their hearts. Not being tethered to a specific territory was where Almyra started after all."

Byleth thought about it. Well, that somehow holds some truth. There were still patches of historical papers and traditions back in her timeline. She gave Tiana a reassuring smile and then laughed at how ridiculous she and Khalid are for having such "argument".

Later on that afternoon, Byleth went looking for Khalid, knowing that he's off from his Royal duties. She carried with her a pot of his favorite tea that she steeped personally, along with some pastries to go with it.

Humming cheerfully, turned the corner that leads to the garden and found Cornelia walking towards her with a smile.

That made Byleth on edge. Glancing to the garden, she saw Khalid talking with his father. Judging by the annoyed expression on his face, Khalid must've gotten an earful of teasing from his old man about how childish they were with their little misunderstanding.

Good. He's safe.

"Ah, Your Holiness." Cornelia greeted her, giving her a curtsey. "I finally got to see you again."

"Was there anything you need?" Byleth replied as she somehow readied to defend herself, even if it means she has to dump the hot tea on the woman in front of her.

"Why yes, Your Holiness. I never really gotten a chance to speak, let alone mingle, with deities." Cornelia's smile widened. "You are the perfect substitute for His Majesty. Your mana is going to be more than enough for us."

With that, Cornelia struck out at Byleth with a sharp lightning bolt through her stomach.

Byleth dropped the tray of tea with a loud clatter, alerting Khalid and his father. Seeing what had happened to Byleth, Khalid got up to her rescue.

Fearing he'd do something stupid and get himself killed, Byleth had no choice but to rewind time, minutes before Cornelia could act.

When she met Cornelia again by that corner, she reacted just in time before the bolt could pierce her.

She threw the teapot right at Cornelia, who screamed in anger and pain. Byleth took a couple of steps back and hurled fireballs at Cornelia, making Khalid and his father look at their direction in alarm.

The two women exchanged blows of arcane magic, though Byleth's seem to be superior compared to Cornelia's. Probably due to her skills are directly linked to Sothis.

Cornelia got too busy concentrating on Byleth that she failed to notice Khalid drawing his bow and shot an arrow through her leg.

In pain, Cornelia dropped to one knee, trying to pull out the arrow.

She froze when an ornate shamshir rested near her throat.

Khalid stood there behind her, with the sword he borrowed from his father, his face contorted with indescribable anger.

"You dared harm Her Holiness right in front of me?" Khalid said, his voice dripping with anger. "You–"

Cornelia let out a small amused huff. "It was a misunderstanding, Your Majesty. I've never been in close contact with deities and my curiosity of their martial prowess made me act before I could think twice."

"Then you should have done twice the thinking." Hubert's smooth voice said from behind Byleth, making her jump in surprise. "I didn't think you'd make my job of getting rid of you this easy. I'm sure Lord Lambert will understand why I have to...remove you."

When did he got there?

Seeing the look on Byleth's face, Hubert only bowed politely. "I had a hunch that Your Holiness was the real target of these people...so I kept watch over you while we're still here. Rest assured, Fodlan seeks no quarrel with Almyra."

Byleth only gave him a perturbed look. "To what extent did you...?"

Hubert only smiled, not offering anything else.

She did not like Hubert's smile as an answer.

Guards then came rushing in to take Cornelia away. Hubert bowed politely to help escort the prisoner, lest she gets away with her cunning.

Sighing tiredly, Byleth leaned on the wall.

Why is she now the target??

What the heck with that mana thing Cornelia was talking about??

She hopes Hubert doesn't dispose of Cornelia too early. She need answers from that woman.

"Byleth! Are you okay?" Khalid asked worriedly, giving back his father's sword and rushing over to her to help her stand.

"I'm fine, perfectly fine." She lied with a wave of her hand. Who'd be fine after getting targeted? Or experiencing pain of getting stabbed before rewinding time? Rewinding time's doesn't mean the memory goes away for her. "This hallway doesn't look okay though..."

There were scorch marks everywhere, and some cracks from where the lightning magic struck. Khalid's father only laughed.

"You almost got killed and you're worried about the hallway? You sounded just like Khalid when he thought he's going to die in his sister's hands instead many years ago for ruining the part of the garden where she grows lotus flowers, after getting out of an assassination attempt."

"Now's not the time for that embarrassing story, father." Khalid said pointedly, his ears starting to get red at the memory.

He hefted Byleth up in his arms, and excused themselves from his father's presence before power walking back to Byleth's bedroom.


	9. Chapter 9

Khalid deposited Byleth back on her bed, then sat next to her, checking her for any injury.

Feels like this happened before.

"You kept harping about my safety, but what about yours?" Khalid reprimanded her. "You say you're a mortal now and if something were to happen to you, I–"

Byleth reached out to cup his face. "Hush, dear."

"But–"

"No buts. Let me have a good look at you."

"Why?"

She then pulled him into a hug, his face resting at the crook of her neck. He was going to protest but noticed how shaky her hands were against his nape.

He encircled her waist with his arms, returning her hug gently.

She was the one who got attacked but she's still worried for him. Seriously...

He can take care of himself. He had survived this long despite of the many attempts on his life.

But if she ever get in danger, he wouldn't hesitate on throwing himself in to protect her.

"Where did you get the bow from earlier?" She asked curiously.

"Oh, that...it has something to do with my mother's blood that runs in me. Says it's a special case where selected heirs can call upon our ancestor's fated weapon. I don't really know the right words to explain how it works...as long as I have a weapon in hand, I could transform it into that. Something like that."

"Mmhmm...convenient though. Even if you're wielding a butter knife or a stick, even a saucepan, it can be turned into a fated weapon."

"It's draining and it doesn't work that way, it has to be an actual weapon. I don't like using it. Don't make me use it again. And why should I wield a saucepan as weapon?"

They sat there in silence, letting the minutes go by to calm their nerves.

Finally, Byleth broke the silence again. "So much for your schemes against Cornelia."

At that, Khalid disentangled himself from her, giving her an indignant look.

"I was prepared!" He told her with a pout. "I just...didn't expect she'd go after you this early when she failed to get me. I was expecting another three days at least before she acts."

Silence.

"Excuse me?" Byleth said slowly, making Khalid look away nervously like a kid caught red-handed.

"I didn't say anything."

"You definitely said something."

"Nope. You must be still shaken from the attack. You're one, peace-loving Goddess, huh? No wonder the palace is peaceful and not many murder schemes going around. If only you'd seen before how many life threats I went through in one morning alone–" 

"This peace-loving Goddess is going to hit you senseless unless you explain to me what you said earlier about Cornelia failing to get you. No one told me about that."

Khalid gave her a helpless look before surrendering. "Okay, okay... The past few days where we weren't together... There have been attempts yet again from the same masked group that Lord Vestra mentioned. I managed to fend them off, which was easy by the way. And I told my spies that you have somehow charmed into your service not to tell you."

Byleth's eyes narrowed at him, her calmness slowly transforming into annoyance. Khalid took this cue to continue on explaining himself lest she starts hitting him.

"I managed to apprehend some of them and had them questioned. They're tough nuts, in all honesty. Not even the worst kind of torture made them talk. Though I did received reports that a few have been stalking you so I had some people guard you in secret. They know that to get to me, they need to hit my weakness."

He slyly smiled at her and winked, thinking he did that flirting smoothly.

It did not go smoothly.

Instead, Byleth got more upset as she crossed her arms with the deepest scowl she could muster.

Khalid decided to drop his flirting then and there, waiting for her reprimand.

"I'm disappointed in you." Byleth finally said. "I've told you you're important to me and you die...then for what purpose did I come here for...what's the point of continuing on living if I couldn't..."

She didn't finish her sentence.

Seriously, what's the point of coming to the past if she couldn't stop him from running headlong into his death? Might as well force a rift open in time if she could and go back to her original home, and forever mourn for the past.

For Khalid though, her words meant something else for him. He only realized now that she was dying before she came out of that bath and have been given a second chance in life to be his bride.

She can't be a bride without a bridegroom who wished for her somewhat desperately.

He pulled her into a hug, running his hand through her hair.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

"Well, you should be."

"But you've been so bright talking to Lord Vestra. I can't help but get jealous, okay?"

"It was for your sake that I was talking to him. Since he's more familiar with those men in masks..."

"Well you should have said so."

"I did. You didn't listen well enough."

They hugged one another for a full minute before Byleth, having the sudden urge, hit his stomach. Khalid made a little 'oof!" sound, looking at her questioningly.

"I'm still annoyed." was the only reply he got.

"But we've resolved the issue, right?"

"Maybe."

"What do I have to do to make your annoyance go away? I can't sleep at night knowing you're angry at me."

"A kiss." 

Chuckling, Khalid then pulled her down onto the bed, locking her into a tight embrace, his legs locking around hers.

"Khalid. I can't breathe." Byleth said when her nose got pressed too close onto his chest. Khalid loosened his hold a bit then pressed a long kiss onto her forehead.

Then down onto her eyelashes.

The tip of her nose.

Cheeks.

And finally down onto her lips.

Their first kiss was soft and gentle, as Khalid tested the waters. Byleth seem to be accepting his advances no problem so he took that chance to deepen the kiss.

Byleth freed her arms a little from where they were kept imprisoned against his torso and reached around his neck to hold onto him.

Moving carefully, Khalid flipped her onto her back as he hovered above her, holding back a groan when her hands snaked into his hair and pulled a little when he nibbled on her lower lip.

He breathed heavily as he looked down at her, her hair sprawled on the bed, her lips plump.

Gulping, he dared to look down at her clothes which seems to be straining because he pinned them down at the right place with his knee.

Well...they're getting married so there's no harm...

He leaned down, hot breath against her neck as he planted wet kisses there.

Byleth squirmed underneath him, and Khalid smiled inwardly.

Ah, so that's one sensitive spot.

"Forgive me Goddess, for I am about to sin." He playfully said, his hands slowly travelling around her clothes, undoing them one by one. "As this is the only way I could show you my worship and devotion personally."

Byleth's face burned in embarrassment upon hearing those words, as she let him undress her, his lips kissing every inch of skin exposed.

She had heard of the male equivalent of that line and she couldn't believe she'd hear it being uttered to her.

Khalid sat up to pull down her top and expose her to him, admiring the red marks he had left on her smooth white skin.

He shrugged out of his own clothes and would have proceeded if not for the knock on the door.

"Your Majesty, Your Holiness...the former King and Queen requested an early dinner with the two of you." An attendant called from the other side of the door.

Khalid scrunched his nose as he had pinned Byleth's wrists on either side of her head, ready for his so-called worship.

"We're not hungry." He loudly replied. "Set it for another time."

"But Sire–"

"We're busy. No one is allowed to bother us until tomorrow midmorning."

"But your father–"

"We're busy!"

  
**Extra** :

Byleth groggily opened her eyes, and found she's clinging to Khalid's naked body against the cold early morning.

The blanket had slipped off her shoulder, showing bite marks from Khalid.

Yeesh.

She'll get back at him for this another night. She'd savor that moment Khalid realize he's not the only one who have talent in body worship.

She pulled the blanket up to cover herself and Khalid, before snuggling up to him.

"Had a fun romp with your King?" Sothis's voice suddenly echoed inside her head. "I'd take it by sleeping with him, and bearing his child, means you don't want to return home?"

Byleth grumbled, trying to bury her head into Khalid's arm. The man next to her only grunted, adjusting his position so she could snuggle comfortably, then he let out a soft snore.

"Let me sleep..." Byleth thought as a reply to Sothis. "We can talk about it tomorrow..."

Sothis remained silent at that, then Byleth sensed a tiny hand patting her head.

Must be the ethereal version of Sothis coming out again.

Must she really? Now of all times where they're both naked under the sheets? This is as awkward as parents walking in to their child doing something they shouldn't do.

"I didn't expect they'd shift their attention to you. Be very careful, and keep your little King alive as well."

"Sothis..."

"I know, I know. You're tired after having two wild rounds...but if ever you visit Fodlan in this timeline, exercise caution at all cost. There's something amiss–!"

Byleth jerked awake at how Sothis sounded by the end of her words, like that sensation of falling down the stairs. She looked around, looking for that green glimmer but there's nothing in the darkness.

"Sothis...?"

No response.

Thinking that maybe Sothis have gone back to her nap and only making a dramatic exit, Byleth shrugged and snuggled closer to Khalid.

She could feel Sothis's warmth flowing through her body, as if power was being transferred. But over time, it cooled down and soon enough, Byleth's fast asleep and can no longer sense Sothis's presence.

She was rudely woken by Khalid's hand, which was wandering down inbetween her legs and going inside her.

She grunted in annoyance, pushing his hand away and turning away from him.

She's not a morning person after all.

She could sense Khalid's heart hurting from her action behind her so as consolation, she moved her butt to him, feeling him waking up.

She tried her best to ignore that healthy, full of energy Khalid jr. in the morning.

How is it he recovered quickly from last night?? Don't men have to "recharge" for a couple of days??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta shove Failnaught in there somehow, with bits of alteration


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Work almost made me lose the original plot line for this story and it took a while to remember

Hubert returned to Fodlan after a few days, thanking the royal couple sincerely for giving him reason to remove Cornelia out of Fodlan politics.

Peaceful weeks finally descended in the royal palace of Almyra as the royal wedding comes near, with the only surprise they had was Byleth's hair color gradually changing from her usual dark blue to a blue to mint green ombre and her eyes now having that permanent hue of mint green, with only a faint crescent of what it used to be.

Khalid thought it's probably because he got too physical in his...worships and Byleth had no choice but to go back to her roots to keep up with him. Another excuse he thought of was it's him helping her regain her godly power.

Not one of his conclusions were correct though, as Byleth knew it has something to do with the sudden weak presence of Sothis.

She was planning on asking Khalid to let her go to Fodlan in the pretense of diplomatic visit one morning as they were having breakfast with his parents, but Byleth decided to throw up after getting a whiff of certain foods.

It alarmed Khalid, his thoughts going straight to someone trying to poison her, or had poisoned her with that water she just drank.

Khalid's parents immediately knew what's wrong with Byleth though, having gone through that years prior, with Tiana shooting Khalid a scowl while his father only laughed.

Their reactions confused Khalid while Byleth looked down at one hand, mentally counting the days.

"You couldn't wait for your wedding?" Tiana scolded her son, who only stared at them blankly.

Byleth's eyes widened when she finished counting in her head and placed a hand over her tummy.

Of course she knew it'll result to that, seeing they've crossed that line many times. But to think they'd hit the jackpot...

It took Khalid few more seconds before it clicked and he flushed in embarrassment and joy at the same time.

"Look at the bright side, dear." Her husband said gently. "They don't have to alter her dress too much, and we don't have to wait for a long time for a crowned heir. I can only hope he wasn't lousy in his skills in bed..."

Khalid scowled at his father as he took Byleth's hand and kissed it reverently. Locking their hands together, Khalid turned to his parents.

"Why are you excited to have a crowned heir when I barely warmed my butt on the throne?"

After breakfast, Khalid decided to cancel everything in his work schedule for that day and spent his time beside Byleth at the garden to enjoy the warmth of the sun, holding her hand in his while with his free hand, he rubbed her tummy.

"Khalid, the baby isn't fully formed yet. It's still a blob of blood." Byleth told him, exasperated and annoyed by his rubbing.

"It's still our child." Khalid pouted. He then tried to lean down to nuzzle her tummy but received a gentle slap on the ear to stop him.

"Enough, Khalid."

"But our baby..."

"You can do that when the child's born." She patted the ear that she hit consolingly. "You didn't have to cancel everything..."

"Eh, I deserve a break." He pulled her into a hug. "We're going to have a baby..."

Byleth let him hug her, as she really loves his hugs. They're warm and comfortable.

Reminds her of home.

She sighed.

Hearing that, the King of Almyra looked down at her with furrowed brows.

"Something the matter?"

"No.. Nothing... I... Only miss home. I'm sure my mom and dad would be more than thrilled to have a grandkid...they've been telling me dramatically how long they were waiting for one..."

Khalid sat there for a moment, processing what she said.

Of course, Gods and Goddesses have family, especially the younger ones in the Pantheon. He's not entirely sure how formal or informal deities are but he guess Byleth's side of the Pantheon, they're pretty close.

But why does she speak as if they can't visit her? Don't they hang out somewhere up there with the others? Or is it because she was a dying star before and they had no choice but to let her go down and be mortal to extend her life for a little bit longer?

But aren't deities supposed to be immortal or somethning? So how did she became a dying star...? Unless she reached the end of her lifespan?

Speaking of which...

"Byleth?"

"Mm?"

"Please don't hate me for asking but.. How old are you exactly? And..how exactly did you became a dying star...?"

Byleth pursed her lips, looking up at him.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to. Or can't remember." He hastily added.

She let him sit there in uncomfortable silence before she rested her head on his shoulder, choosing to ignore his question.

Trying to save the conversation, Khalid brightly told her, "I'm sure my...godly in-laws would be thrilled to know that they're having a grandkid."

His words had the reverse effect. It only made Byleth sadder and Khalid thought it's better to shut up now.

Upsetting a pregnant woman is a no-no after all.

After a while, Byleth disentangled herself from him and Khalid waited nervously for her to speak.

"I want to go to Fodlan." she told him without preamble. He blinked twice, processing what she had said.

"Why?"

"I'm...curious, that's all. Once this child is born, I won't be able to travel..."

"Huh? No one's stopping you from travelling when you have babies."

"I prefer to raise my child personally." She said archly, crossing her arms. "I'm not going to leave them with their nannies all the time."

Khalid gently smiled at her, then placed a hand over his heart.

"Then let me accompany you after our wedding. Your safety, and our child's, is my responsibility. Let me do the nagging this time, in case you do anything reckless."

Byleth wanted to argue that she wanted to go as soon as possible but his smile told her she has no choice but to wait until after the wedding.

Surely he's not thinking that the reason she wants to go to Fodlan is Hubert?

His petty jealousy is cute, but it can be tiring.

She doesn't even show how jealous she is when he talks to female nobles a bit too close or too familiar. She's above being jealous, but it does hurt every now and then.

She prefers not to cause a scene, lest it be used against her. Tiana, Khalid's sisters and cousins have all warned her about how the Almyran Court is the same as any other: always waiting for that one slip up to drag you down and to get power for themselves.

Also, she's not yet legally the Queen of Almyra so she can't act rashly. As much as the Royal family dotes on her, she doesn't have enough power to stay by his side. Being a mistaken deity won't hold on for too long.

So she waited patiently for their grand wedding, which is actually overwhelming for a simple woman like her who grew up in a modest household.

Her wedding gown was made from the highest quality of silk Almyra could produce, with tiny white diamonds that are more than enough to support five families for many generations.

Byleth knew she's marrying a King, even carrying his heir in her tummy, and it's all dawning on her now. She got so used to Khalid adhering to her wishes of being simple in every day clothes, so when she put on the dress and saw the celebration, it hit her full force.

This is the kind of wedding that can only exist in daydreams, fairy tales and to few select lucky ladies.

Yet here she is, getting kissed rather too enthusiastically by Khalid to seal their wedding vows and officially becoming Queen of Almyra. Tiana said there's still some small ceremony of giving her the crown after a few days, and Byleth internally groaned.

She only wanted to save Khalid's ass and go home, originally.

Can she really go home and leave her child with him and the responsibility entrusted onto her as his partner?

What if she returned home too early after accomplishing what she came here to do, how can she explain to everyone how she's pregnant with a dead, historical King's child?

Pretty sure her dad's going to burst a vein or two. The worst that can happen is her dad having a stroke upon learning his daughter got knocked up by some random guy and refuse to accept her word that she got transported into the past.

"You worry your little head too much." Byleth heard Sothis's wan voice after the celebrations were over. Khalid had drunk himself silly, and is now slumped over half of her body, sleeping with a dumb smile and a hand over her tummy in the Royal bedchambers.

This is the first time Byleth saw him got drunk, and he's a cuddle monster in that state. It was embarrassing when he started his affectionate hugging in front of many people. She guess he trusted that General Nader so much, he didn't bother being cautious with the wine served to them.

His sisters were snickering and no doubt will use this to tease him once he's sober.

Hearing Sothis's familiar voice, it made Byleth sigh in relief.

She's the only companion she has in the past that knows she's from the future.

"I have every right to be worried." Byleth replied in her mind. "Where have you been?"

"Something happened to my body, that's why our connection got disrupted." Sothis told her. "I don't have enough strength to maintain this anymore. I only checked in to see if my transfer of power worked..."

"You mean that's really what happened that's why my hair and eyes are like these?"

"Good, you realized that on your own. Now, I think you've expressed your wanting to go to Fodlan?"

"I was worried and having read a lot of books in this era and from what Lady Tiana said...I figured you're more prominent in Fodlan. There's also the issue of those masked assassins."

Sothis was quiet for a moment, making Byleth think she vanished again. Thankfully that wasn't the case as Sothis made a soft hum.

"Your quick grasp of language from different countries and era astounds me."

"I've been here for quite some time. I'm bound to pick up on things."

Sothis hummed again. Byleth took that chance to ask her own questions to her ethereal friend.

"You said Fodlan's dangerous and I should be careful. Why is that?"

"It has something to do with those who desecrated my...temple. They're after my power, and since they sensed it on you, of course they'd target you."

"Why though? Are they harvesting mana or something? Because there's no magic like this back in my time."

"You could say that, little one. You've seen one part of my power, the ability to turn back time. Imagine if someone were to get their hands on even a miniscule of that power...they could manipulate everything."

Byleth pursed her lips, looking down at her husband, who is now drooling and snoring.

"I don't understand how's that connected to him and his death."

"That twerp is the key. His blood has traces of mine, albeit indirect. His mother's family was one of my direct descendant, so to speak plainly."

The new Queen of Almyra frowned. "And the royal family of Fodlan isn't?"

"Hresvelg is my daughter's line, and Blaiddyd's her brother." Sothis explained. "Riegan is...let's say that twerp that is using you as pillow is my grandson."

If Byleth was drinking something, she would have spewed it out.

"You were married to his ancestral grandfather? So how come they're not the royal family?" 

"No one knew about it. We split up after the child was born, afraid I won't be faithful. That's how it is with mortals who have deities as lovers...well, he did have a point. I had many children before his but I only take in new lovers after three hundred years of their passing..."

Byleth chose to ignore Sothis's remark about the age thing, intent of asking another question about a particular magic she's been most curious since the first attack on Khalid, but the man sleeping next to her snorted himself awake and looked up at her blearily.

"What time is it?" He asked, his words garbled.

"First hour after midnight, dear."

Khalid grunted something about "pregnant women shouldn't stay up late" and he pulled her close. Byleth scrunched her nose at the scent of strong alcohol. She pulled free from him and turned around, but Khalid still snuggled her back.

Thanks to him waking up, Sothis disappeared again.

Guess she really have to go to Fodlan to see for herself what's going on.


	11. Chapter 11

After Byleth got crowned officially to be Almyra's Queen, Khalid had people preparing for their babymoon. Their announcement of a babymoon instead of honeymoon caused a happy riot that Khalid suffered days of teasing from his extended family.

Everyone around them snickered at how submissive their King is to their Queen, when she insisted they don't have to go with a full entourage. He managed to convince her that going incognito into an allied country might get misinterpreted as them planning something else, so they have to at least let the Royal family know that they're in the area.

It took them a week to get to the border that separates Fodlan and Almyra, making Byleth crane her neck to look at that famous wall.

In the future, that impregnable wall still stands, the stones weathered thru countless years, with tiny little cafes and shops that carry both countries' local specialties.

It was there that Byleth bought that old, curious book and had set her down the obsession over King Khalid.

But now, seeing it in its full glory, it gave her shivers.

There was no warmth in it.

Soldiers lined the parapet, with another group standing in front of the gates.

Byleth shrank back into her seat once their carriage passed into its cool shadow.

She's returning to her homeland, albeit in a different time. Yet somehow, the place feels foreign.

Khalid, noticing her silent discomfort, smiled at her reassuringly and placed a hand over hers.

"It's okay. We're only passing through a large gate." He told her.

Large gate? It's obvious it's a fortress, full of Fodlan's best soldiers.

Despite of the alliance between their countries, Fodlan soldiers still have suspicions in their eyes as they watched the small retinue of Almyran delegates pass through.

Have...the people of Fodlan always been this way to their neighbors?

She knew some of the people at work that doesn't like the idea of inter-racial marriage, and it landed Byleth into a lot of arguments that ends up with people shaking their head at her.

Why does nationality matter when it comes to matter of love? Sure, that sounded pretty sheltered and naive since not everyone approaches someone without ulterior motives.

But that's like winning the lottery, with low percentages of ever happening, and only in the bad way.

"I thought Almyra and Fodlan are in good terms? Why is every soldier..." Byleth started softly, and Khalid squeezed her hand.

"Rulers can't really influence everyone in their care to accept it." He replied. "There will be always skirmishes, blamed on misunderstanding, and all we can do is temper down the anger on both sides. At least those clashes have lessened since you arrived."

He smiled brightly at her, then rubbed her tummy.

"I hope you don't take after your mother. As pretty as she is with any expression, I don't like it when she's constantly frowning." Khalid said conversationally. "Makes me think she caught me slipping some sweetener into her drink–"

Whack!

"Ow." Khalid pouted, rubbing his upper arm. He then mischievously grinned at her.

A few days ago, during their stay in an inn, Byleth caught Khalid slipping in some saffron into her drink. She knew what it's for and she glared at him, kicking him out of their shared room.

It may have been a few weeks since they did it, and she's pregnant to boot. She easily get grumpy recently, due to her cravings that she can't pinpoint what exactly she wants to eat. Khalid thought she only needed extra...love energy so he did something stupid.

He pulled her into a hug, kissing her cheek numerous times to show that he's sorry.

Once out of the fortress, lush clusters of trees and bushes met them, with well paved roads for caravans. Byleth couldn't believe her eyes that the border city she used to hang out in used to be like this.

The road seemed familiar too, like it's the same one she used to walk on after doing shopping. Some locals did boast that they preserved the historical roads.

Even Khalid stopped annoying Byleth.

Almyra is a vast plain, with a few oasis here and there that have trees large enough to give shade to caravans and their herds.

He hummed, surveying their surroundings.

"No wonder my ancestors wanted to occupy Fodlan." He said thoughtfully. "But then again, this much trees would get in the way of our wyverns..."

Byleth inclined her head. "You haven't been here before?"

"I really didn't have any reason to come here." Khalid admitted. "We signed the alliance treaty at the border fortress and the royal family of Fodlan didn't really bother with invitations. So we celebrated the alliance on our own, with Fodlan sending a few select delegates in place of their royal family."

Byleth chewed on her lip, thinking back on what she knows about Khalid, historically. Or what was fabricated about him since ninety percent of it was total bullshit.

Supposedly, Khalid went to Fodlan in disguise and lured a lady to be part of his harem of sorts. Like how his father lured his mother.

But if this is his first time...

Then there really is some kind of magic that can mimic someone's face and attitude! So the Khalid she was obssessing with was really a fake! They took his early history and pretended to be him after they killed him in secret!

How dare they tarnish his name with that harem antic?! Khalid is obviously loyal to one woman and blind to everyone else, as he had demonstrated time and again.

Disgusted by whoever tried to pass himself off as her Khalid, she made a face and Khalid thought she was going to throw up.

He hurriedly snatched a small bucket from below and held it up to her.

Byleth shook her head and pushed the item away. "I'm fine."

"You don't look like it."

"I was only thinking some things."

"I already apologized for the saffron incident."

"I've already forgiven you for that incident when you didn't insist of sleeping in the room with me after getting kicked out." Byleth told him bluntly. The corners of Khalid's lips lifted up into a relieved smile.

"So, what's bothering my dearest Queen?"

Byleth was about to say "I want to see Sothis's temple to check on her" but their entourage abruptly stopped, making Khalid change expression into high alert.

Speaking in a louder, more authorative voice, Khalid turned his attention outside.

"What's going on?" He demanded.

Surely Fodlan doesn't have an abundance of bandits?

"Sire..."

The coachman's voice was trembling. The other soldiers at either side of the entourage only stared up straight ahead, horrified on what they are seeing.

Khalid, annoyed by this, poked his head out of the carriage to reprimand them.

But stopped dead short when he saw what's up ahead.

A beast they have never seen the likes of before loomed above them, more than fifteen feet high in length.

It doesn't have any limbs or eyes to speak of, but it can certainly see where its prey is.

It opened its mouth, saliva dripping in hunger and made a deafening shriek.

At that, Khalid yelled angrily. "What are you people sitting there, all slack-jawed? Move! Before it tries to eat us!"

Byleth wasn't prepared for the rough handling of the coachman, as she clung to the side of the carriage, running away from the beast.

Khalid threw himself over her, intent of protecting her and their unborn child from any kind of rough bumps.

They all heard the beast made another shriek and the ground rumbled underneath them.

In a flash, the carriage got thrown high up and slammed down hard, breaking in half.

Byleth made a painful gasp at that, having hit her back and her immediate thought went to the baby in her tummy.

"Stay strong, dear." She pleaded silently.

Khalid, who had cushioned the fall of her head with his arm, cursed darkly.

"I am so glad we never succeeded on invading Fodlan." He muttered, looking down to check on his wife.

"You okay? Our baby?"

Byleth could only nod her head mutely, afraid she'll throw up.

Outside of their broken carriage, they could hear their soldiers trying to fight off the beast. There were some who screeched in fear, some yelling their friend's name in panic as the beast lunged down at them to eat.

Carefully dragging out Byleth and having her stand in a safer distance, Khalid shook his arm to ease whatever pain he's feeling.

He turned to look back at his men.

Well, it seems like their attacks are working but it's too slow.

Also, he can't afford to lose too many of them. They are the elite of Almyra's soldiers, and he borrowed them from Nader's own battalion.

Sighing tiredly, he took out his short sword, and concentrated.

Byleth could see the faint glow of something crescent under his wrist and the sword turned into a rather shimmering bow.

She studied him as he drew the bow, took aim and flawlessly let the arrow fly.

He did all of that in one smooth motion, with an air of a master in his craft.

He continously fired his arrow at the beast from their location and it seemed to be much more effective but only slightly.

Unable to bear it any longer and finally got her stomach to settle down from the bumpy ride, Byleth stood a few feet away from him, stretched out her hand and summoned forth a large cluster of fireball above the beast.

With one gesture, she let it rain down on it.

The beast let out a shriek, as if the fire agitated it more. It swept its ugly head on the ground, hitting Almyran soldiers and making them fly through the air.

Khalid took that personally.

He summoned forth three arrows, casually aiming again and let it loose.

The beast shrieked seconds before the arrows hit and fell down on the ground with.

Byleth blinked at that, looking over her husband. "Nice shot."

Retracting his bow and the weapon in his hand returning to normal, he shook his head.

"Wasn't me." He replied as he went over to her to check on her and the baby.

"Your Royal Majesties, are you okay?" They heard a deep voice, laced with concern.

They looked up to see a man, who towers above them and wears white armor and cape flowing behind him, his blond hair tied halfway, a lance in hand running up to them. His brows were furrowed and his eyes darted between the two of them.

"Yes, we're fine. Couple of injuries to our soldiers. Hopefully I didn't lose any of them or the General will harp on it for the next ten years." Khalid replied, looking at the man in front of them carefully. "May I ask w–"

"Your Highness, Prince Dimitri? What are you doing out here?" Byleth asked, surprising both men as to how she knew him.

"I...ah...well. The Archbishop and my father wanted you escorted safely to your residence near the Monastery, since we do have this...infestation problem. I apologize for arriving late, as I was taking care of business about those who assaulted Edelgard..."

Khalid raised an eyebrow at his wife then at the so-called Prince.

"You two know each other?" He asked casually. He winced when Byleth pinched him on the arm discreetly.

Dimitri shook his head. "No, this is the first time I've met Almyra's Queen. But Hubert did fill me in that the two of you are constantly stuck to one another..."


	12. Chapter 12

With the injured soldiers rounded up, Khalid let out a breath of relief.

Their escorts were all alive. The worst case of injury is broken limbs but at least they're still breathing. They were all grumpy about the situation but it quickly dispersed when Byleth came up to them to apologize as she didn't know their vacation will have such incident.

Their favorite horses weren't lucky though, and Khalid promised to replace them once back in Almyra.

The Prince Dimitri, along with his vassals, helped them move into a different carriage, securing their things. He explained to their guests that Fodlan has such problems, with the mana being unbalanced in their land due to a war that resulted to the establishment of the Hresvelg and Blaiddud royal families.

Mutations of what used to be ordinary pests became a major headache to the lands.

Giant worms such as the one they encountered. Giant birds that picks up fully grown cows and other livestocks. Wolves were the worse.

It's annoying enough to deal with regular wolves, what more with giant, mutated wolves?

Byleth found all of this fascinating. All Fodlan children in her time used to have fairy tales regarding those beasts, and it's always His Highness, Prince Dimitri, being used as the protector in each stories.

Well, at least they got that part right.

The Prince himself rode on a white steed next to the carriage, strong and proud, with his lance strapped securely against his back. Byleth kept her eyes on him, examining him and double checking on what she knows about him.

Khalid scrunched his nose at this development.

First Hubert, Princess Edelgard's attendant.

Now the Prince Dimitri.

Who's next? A priest or something?

From what he knows, Fodlan has a centralized religion and they're pretty accepting of their priests marrying and having children. Khalid has nothing against that, since their religion also allow that, with a few exemptions here and there.

"So, how did you know about Prince Dimitri?" He asked, crossing his leg and leaned on it, propping his arm on top and resting his head on his hand.

"Hubert did mention he left Princess Edelgard in the care of Prince Dimitri when he visited." Byleth lied smoothly. "And who else would have such grand armors around these part? Not low ranking nobles, that's for sure."

Khalid hummed, unconvinced. Knowing that her husband is starting go down the path of another jealousy issue, Byleth gave him an exasperated look.

"Khalid, I married you. I'm also carrying your child."

"I know."

"So why are you jealous?"

"It's not uncommon for noble women to get into affairs. Though it's not as widespread as men having affairs, it still happens."

"Khalid!" Byleth said, shocked that he'd accuse her openly like that.

He looked like he's going to say something else but decided to drop it, and gave her a sunny smile.

"I'm joking, I'm joking. I know you only have eyes for me."

"Khalid."

"Yes dearest?"

"I hate those kinds of teasing. Stop it."

He smiled, then made a zipping motion over his lips.

The mischievous twinkle in his eyes never left though.

Their Fodlan escort got confused when Byleth wanted to stop the carriage and Khalid came out dejected, forced to ride with one of their Almyran escort.

The Almyrans snickered at their liege, and didn't stop when Khalid pouted and told them to stop. Dimitri wondered if Almyra is really this free from the tethers of formality.

It took them two days and a half to reach their destination, enough time for Khalid to befriend Dimitri.

He wasn't really that hard to approach, as Dimitri also wanted to know about Almyra's youngest King.

Saying that they instantaneously became best friends is an understatement.

The best way to befriend a male noble is to talk about weaponry. And it happens that Khalid is interested in the lance wielded by Dimitri, while the Prince himself is curious about the skill that Khalid showed with that bow.

He only heard it in passing that a certain noble house can wield a rather special weapon.

House Riegan.

But since the Lady Tiana left, there wasn't anyone else in House Riegan that can wield it, save for her brother, Godfrey.

His daughter wasn't lucky in birth, as she didn't bear the mark and. It used to bother Godfrey but accepted the fate of House Riegan's eventual downfall. Other nobles urged him to take another wife and have her bear children, since his first had such bad luck and they didn't want Godfrey to have too many crestless babies.

Godfrey ignored them and instead, doubled his effort of not letting Gloucester take over House Riegan's assets. He'd rather much give it back to the Blaiddyds.

Hearing that his mother's side have trouble, Khalid added that in their bucket list to do while in Fodlan. Won't hurt on visiting relatives, though it might come as a surprise that the King of Almyra is a member of House Riegan. He'll look for a way to keep that one under wraps, as he knows dirty politics will come into play if someone else knew.

Thank gods Khalid didn't reveal much about his ability and Dimitri only thought it's probably a coincidence, since Khalid also explained to him that his wife was a former goddess turned mortal so a lot of fantastical stuff happens in Almyra as well.

"I hope your first impressions of Fodlan isn't too terrible." Dimitri said to them that night as they settled in for dinner.

"Why is there an inbalance here?" Byleth asked curiously. "What...really happened?"

Dimitri smiled gently at her. "Two great forces clashed, one wanting to control everything, the other fighting for liberation. The Goddess prevailed, but died after restoring the lands. Two of her children married into the leading families that helped her as a sign of their gratitude."

"How did that even caused the inbalance? And this inbalance...if it goes on, will it result to the future generations not be able to wield it, let alone know it existed?" she frowned. Khalid reached for his drink, eyes darting between the two of them, listening intently.

It's rare for Byleth to be this curious about a nation's history. But he guess, since this is the first time they're in the country, it's best to get to know them in a deeper connection.

What bothers him is the certainty in Byleth's tone that the inbalance that is affecting Fodlan will also hurt Almyra.

It's only natural that dynasties and empires rise and fall. Even he is aware that the prosperous Almyra in his care will one day fall, and it's his duty to keep that as far into the future as possible. He won't let his Almyra fall too early.

Dimitri's smile never once left his lips and he answered her calmly. "Stories say the Goddess wasn't able to finish restoring before she passed on. But no one really knows the real reason. It wasn't recorded and we have no choice but to live with it."

Silence fell over their dinner and both men could see the troubled expression on Byleth's face. They both expected her to say something else on the subject but didn't, so they turned in for the night after dinner, with Dimitri sleeping in one of the guest rooms.

Once in the privacy of their own room, Khalid wrapped his arms around his wife, and she relaxed into his touch.

"What's wrong?" He asked, rubbing her arm in a comforting way. "This is unlike you being agitated over something not related to our home..."

Byleth sighed then gave him an appreciative smile for the comfort his hug is giving her.

"This is not what I imagined our trip would be like." She admitted. "We had so few informations about Fodlan's history. I thought I knew everything..."

Khalid blinked. "No one can know everything, sweetheart. Not even Gods."

Byleth turned around to hug him, burrowing her face into the crook of his neck. Khalid chuckled at her, patting her head.

"Now, now. No more pouting. We're safe now, and Prince Dimitri himself will pick out retainers to tag along with us in place of our injured escorts. No need to worry about anything, okay?"

With that, he smoothly scooped her up into his arms and walked over to the bed.

Once snuggled in, Khalid turned his head to look at her, enjoying her random tapping or making random circles on his chest with her forefinger as her way of making herself relaxed and sleepy.

"So, now that we're going to stay here for a week, what acticities do you have in mind? Go to the market and see their wares and food? Or do you want to see some merchants selling books? Oh, right. I want to check out some of the forges and armory around here if you don't mind?"

Byleth let out a sleepy sigh.

"I want...to see Sothis...temple..."

Khalid stared at her.

That's the last thing he expected to come out of her mouth.

Well, they're close to the Monastery where the Cathedral is also located in, so maybe they can make a trip? Though it's against his sensibilities to consider going to another country's center of faith as a tourist spot.

Though one thing bothered him as Byleth's movement slowed down and she drifted off to sleep.

How did she knew about the Goddess's name? Not even the Prince mentioned any names.

He only knew the name Sothis since his mother told him. 

So...she's really The Beginning's dying companion?

He had looked up everything he could on his spare time about her and not once she was mentioned in any of the texts.

He thought she was an insignificant deity, most likely only mentioned once in the many stories and never talked about again.

He didn't really wanted to fall in love with her, as he was suspicious of her origin, despite of her saying his private prayers for a companion to walk alongside with, let alone her overprotective nature...

No one would really care about his safety as everyone around him knew he can handle it ever since he could properly wield a sword. Not unless they have an ulterior motive.

Yet now, having known and accepting the fact that he had grown to be fond of her, he's forever plagued by guilt.

She's naive at certain governmental topics, but she was sincere in everything she says and do.

He hugged her close, pressing a kiss onto her forehead.

He has to make it up to her somehow. He had wronged her in many ways she didn't know.


End file.
